I had just finished a fly rod using a SCIV/SCII St. Croix blank except for the inscription. I had been using Speedball Opaque Acrylic inks for my inscriptions. Since Gudebrod 811 CP had disappeared I found that after applying the ink and letting it dry overnight, I needed to apply an art fixative to keep the ink from smearing when I applied the acrylic CP. On my fly rods I use PermaGloss for my finish.

On this new rod, I wrote out the inscription using white acrylic ink. and after drying I sprayed the inscription and let it dry. However, the inscription turned a virulent pink/orange almost instantly. I did my best to wipe it off with a microfiber cloth as best I could given the fragility of St. Croix blank coatings with organic solvents.

I then repeated this same process with other pieces of rod blank I use to test wraps with. On none of these blanks did the inscription color change. I then tried it on another St. Croix blank and the same ugly color change occurred. I bought a new can of fixative since my old one was quite old (7 years). The new fixatif gave the same result with only the St. Croix blank. This effect only occurs with white ink. There is no change with teal, yellow, or red ink.

I am posting this only to help others who might try this ink with a St. Croix blank. I have contacted St. Croix by e-mail and telephone about this effect.

Sincerely,
Michael Blomme

Perhaps a coat of C.P. is advisable before applying paint or ink.

Hello,

Don't know if your problem have something to do with this, but is your blank have color ?
If yes, is a translucent color ?

When you wipe a paper towel with alcohol on the blank finish, is your paper towel have color on it ?

If yes, I think is because st croix blanks aren't coat with clear (no color clear, just clear coat) AFTER they coated it with clear mixed with translucent color.
The effect of this is the color is much more prone to fading, UV, light solvent, etc.

Hi Phil,
I have been experimenting, but I hadn't thought of that Thanks.
Mike Blomme

The Blank is burgundy. However, I have been told that I should never use any organic solvent on a St. Croix blank. Thanks for your idea anyway.

Mike Blomme

The real solution is to recoat the blank totaly with clear, that's a long term solution.

But for instance, on the area where you write, you can put a coat of guide wrap epoxy, then write, then coat again. In this manner, your ink will be not in contact with blank coating and will not turn pink.

I would say Lindsay nailed it A coat of clear ( most do this ) the writing Then the fixative I like it cause it seems clearer the CP Then a nice coat of clear

Bill - willierods.com